The San Clemente Chamber typically supports public projects that improve mobility and enhance our quality of life. Roads and transportation systems form the backbone of healthy economy, and traffic congestion, especially here in San Clemente, is a major problem.
That's why the Chamber has historically supported the Foothill-South toll road. The extension of the 241, which currently ends at Oso Parkway near Coto de Caza, would help relieve some of the traffic that clogs the 5 freeway, especially weekend traffic. Foothill-South would provide San Clemente businesses and residents another option to the freeway, which will not only help us get around more easily, but would provide a critical alternative route for public safety services like fire, police, and ambulances.
The Chamber continues to support the toll-road alignments that are farthest east of the city. These alignments, which connect near the county line, provide the most complete alternative route to the freeway. Most importantly, the far-east alignments take no businesses and no homes. The Chamber does not support any of the alternatives that stop short of a direct connection to the 5, and opposes the alignments that connect to Pico.
A majority of San Clemente and South County residents believe Foothill-South should be built to help alleviate growing traffic congestion, according to a fourth-annual survey released in June by the Transportation Corridor Agencies.
Decision Research, a national public opinion research firm, conducted the phone surveys among 1,100 registered voters in Orange County, with more surveys conducted in San Clemente and South County. The firm has conducted research for political clients in 40 states including such organizations as The Nature Conservancy and The Wilderness Society.
The poll also found that, by a 2-to-1 margin, people continue to believe roads should be built to avoid congestion on existing roads, since developers will build housing wherever they own land. The survey findings are consistent with independent polls conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, which show 65 percent of South County residents believe toll roads have been a good thing for transportation.
In San Clemente, traffic on weekends is especially bad and recent state statistics show that Orange County's population has now reached 3 million residents. If nothing is done, traffic on I-5 will increase 60 percent in South Orange County in the next 20 years.
If you support the far-east alignments and believe that something must be done to help relieve traffic congestion in San Clemente, please let your voice be heard. We encourage you to submit comments during the Foothill-South environmental review period. You may view the draft environmental impact report and submit comments online at www.thetollroads.com, or you can visit The Toll Roads Information Center on Del Mar Street. The center includes a large aerial map of the alternatives and two large-scale 3-D models depicting how the various alignments connect to I-5 and Pico. Hours: Tuesday- Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Comments will be accepted through Aug. 6. Your voice will help ensure that a road is built that relieves traffic while balancing the need to be sensitive to the environment.
The article in the last edition of the Journal by Rick Anderson, under the section Community Voices, which was in support of the toll road, I believe needs to have an alternative point of view printed. While Mr. Anderson is entitled to his opinion, unless that view is totally shared by the San Clemente Journal, then the citizens of our town need to be able to share a different opinion.
Contrary to what the TCA tells people, the toll road extension will not ease congestion. Mr. Anderson neglects to mention that the preferred route for this extension will take it through currently undeveloped land, including San Onofre State Park. The TCA says that it does not have a preferred route, and shows a number of alternative options, all of which are nothing more than smoke screens. If the road is allowed to be built it will spur on new development all along its corridor. This will create even more traffic, it will do nothing to decrease existing traffic. As with other cities, San Clemente has made it's own traffic problems with all the new homes and businesses which are still beingbuilt in the areas along Pico Ave towards Camp Pendleton.
Mr. Anderson's article ended by saying that if this road is built it will finally give San Clemente residents a choice. A choice to do what exactly? With the I-5 already running through the center of the city, residents are not going to drive out of their way to get to a toll road that is not even going in the direction that they need to travel. Anyone coming to San Clemente from other parts of Orange County, or LA County and beyond, are not going to take a large loop inland, adding miles to their journey, pay a toll, just so they can end up at the very south end of town, where they would then have to turn back on themselves and travel north on the I-5 to get to the heart of the city.
In the past when I have read your magazine it seems that you have mostly had articles in favor of the toll road coming through San Clemente so I wanted to write this letter on behalf of all of us who enjoy the San Mateo & San Onofre Beach and camp areas. My husband and I walk down to Trestles Beach regularly on a trail overlooking the whole San Mateo Creek bed area. Campers from the campground can get to the beach via that trail also. On one of the days we walked to Trestles beach there were alot of little girls with their daddies riding their bikes to the beach. San Mateo Campground was having its usual enflux of Indian Princesses camping there.
As we got closer to the beach there were cyclists in their bright clothes riding along the old highway that crosses the Trestles trail. So many families were headed to the beach that glorious day it looked like a mass exodus. Not just surfers, of which there were quite a few, but little kids running along just happy to be outdoors possibly seeing a rabbit or two as a bonus. When I read the TCA Board's report that is sent to everyone in the area (Where they get the money for that we'll never know) I can't believe that they want to build a massive toll road down the middle of it all. The toll road would damage the park so severely that State Parks will be forced to abandon much of the park, including San Mateo Campground. Yes, I do understand about the traffic crunch; I'm driving in it also. But is it worth just using up every bit of open space we have to get to where we want to go faster and faster? Is that real progress after all?
I want to leave my children and grandchildren a heritage here in So. Orange Co. that they will be proud of and be able to enjoy for generations to come. If the toll road does go through (and some say it is the only way!) we must be honest about all the land that will be made accessible for more housing and development. We must ask ourselves is it worth it. Our family doesn't think it is. We have seen the environmental impact report and it is not possible to put a huge toll road down here where it will not have a major impact on our open space and the wildlife we have left.
The toll road would dump dangerous toxic waste like motor oil, engine coolant, and tire and brake particles that would pollute San Mateo Creek and the surf at Trestles Beach-one of the finest remaining natural surf breaks in the world. I encourage anyone who loves the beach and enjoys the outdoors please do not be conned into thinking that putting another toll road here in So Orange Co. is the answer. When you get a "Stop the Toll Road" packet or info in the mail please respond and be counted as one of the families that stopped the madness.


text:
Death by Neurological Diseases Observed over Two Years in the Unit of Hospitalization of the Department of Neurology-Chu Cocody-Abidjan
Aka-Anghui Diarra Evelyne, Amon-Tanoh Muriel, Yapo-Ehounoud Constance, Tanoh Christian, Ahuie Kouakou Fulbert
Departement of Nervous System and Rehabilitation, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Abstract: Introduction: The neurological diseases affect the central nervous system and peripheral. Our study was carried out in the unity of hospitalization of the department of neurology of the Hospital and university Center (CHU) of Cocody in Abidjan, economic capital of the Cote d'Ivoire, and concerned all the deaths to release the symptoms and the most lethal affections and the factors of bad forecast. The stroke remains burdened by a very high mortality in the world. Method of this study: It is about an analytical retrospective study which took place from January 1st, 2012 till December 31st, 2013. The results of this research were present, having the outcome of a thesis in medicine during the academic year 2014-2015. For the period of study, we included all the cases of the patients died during their stay and proceeded by drawing lots to a group witness. Results: During the period of study, the mortality was 21.8%. The most found stigmas of immunosuppression were: the loss of weight (18.9%), the prurigo (17%) and herpes zoster (13.8%). The main neurological syndromes in the population of the dead subjects were: the pyramidal syndrome (79.5%) and the meningeal irritation (38.1%). The vascular pathologies (43.9%) represented the first cause of death and interested especially the subjects the average age of which was of 62 years, followed by the infectious pathology (30,5%) interesting especially the young adults. Numerous factors of bad forecasts, in particular clinical, biological, and medicinal, were significantly found. Conclusion and recommandations: The death by neurological disease has a not insignificant proportion. To prevent neurological diseases, prevention is the only effective measure, such as the prevention of neurological complications of hypertension and HIV-AIDS.
Keywords: Stroke, Mortality, Neurological Diseases
Cite this paper: Evelyne, A. , Muriel, A. , Constance, Y. , Christian, T. and Fulbert, A. (2015) Death by Neurological Diseases Observed over Two Years in the Unit of Hospitalization of the Department of Neurology-Chu Cocody-Abidjan. Open Access Library Journal, 2, 1-5. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1101907.
[1] Aka-Anghui Diarra, E., Kourouma, M. and Tanoh, C. (2015) Distribution of the Neurological Affections: Experience of the Department of Neurology of the Fallen of Cocody. Available in the Newspaper of Neurology Neurosurgery Psychiatry Flight: 1, in January.
[2] Avode, D.G., Adjien, C., Houinato, D., Souinhin, M. and Adoukonou, T. (2005) Toxoplasmosis Cerebral in a Hospital Environment in Cotonou (BENIN). African Journal of Neurological Sciences, 24, 48-54.
http://ajns.paans.org/dist/data/2005Vol24No2.pdf
[3] Neau, J.-P., Faranpour, F., Alberque, C., Vivier-Darrigol, C., Durandet, G.J. and Frederike, L. (2012) The Cerebrovascular Accident in Poitou-Charentes. Bulletin d'observation santé. Poitou-Charentes. Accident Vasculaire Cerebral/ October 2012.
http://www.ars.poitou-charentes.sante.fr/fileadmin/POITOU-CHARENTES/Votre_Sante/Maladies_chroniques/201210_AVC-PCh-BOS-ORS.pdf
[4] Feigin, V.L., Lawes, C.M., Bennett, D.A. and Anderson, C.S. (2003) Stroke Epidemiology: A Review of Population-Based Studies of Incidence, Prevalence, and Case-Fatality in the Late 20th Century. The Lancet Neurology, 2, 43-53.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At a fire drill at the Tampere site in Finland in November, a widespread machine fire was simulated. The fire was extinguished and the evacuation was done within minutes for all 800 employees on site.
Health and safety has the highest priority at Sandvik. Our vision is "Zero Harm to our people, our customers, our suppliers and the environment we work in". This means that everyone should go home from Sandvik in at least the same condition as they arrived in.
We have reduced the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) for seven years in a row and the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) for four years in a row – both to all-time lows. Sandvik's health and safety work is in compliance with all relevant legislation, and strives to go beyond compliance to ensure the best performance for both our employees and our customers.
Maintaining a strong health and safety culture requires continuous vigilance and effort. Sandvik's Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) management system provides us with a structured approach to help us achieve our health and safety vision. Reports are produced every month to monitor health and safety in every part of our organization so we can take corrective action where needed.
Our health and safety activities are based on Sandvik's EHS Policy and Group EHS Objectives. Each business area works to meet these objectives according to their own plans, including activities to reduce the number of work-related injuries and illnesses. Targets are set year on year to drive performance for the Group, Business Areas and Product Areas.
Our management systems are audited by external agencies to ensure that they meet internationally accepted standards (OHSAS 18001 or equivalent) and are regularly audited internally to continually improve our operating practices.
A safe and healthy workplace requires a strong culture and the Sandvik EHS Council shares best practices across the Group to maintain a "people caring for people" mindset at all times.
Our employee survey results from 2016 indicate that there is strong belief among our employees that our safety culture is supporting our EHS Vision. A key factor is that our leaders "walk the talk" when it comes to health and safety. In all business areas, for example, leaders must commit to three personal EHS Leadership Behaviors. These behaviors are monitored and measured.
Safety is a top priority for employees at the Sandvik facility in Kumasi, Ghana.
Sandvik utilizes a wide range of indicators to measure its safety and health performance, including Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate. Since 2012, Sandvik has also been measuring the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate as a group-wide safety performance indicator. Both of these indicators are showing long-term positive trends.
The target for 2017 was to achieve an LTIFR of 1.4. At year-end the LTIFR for the Group was 1.6 (1.7).
Our culture and working environment should also support the well-being of our employees. All of our sites implement health and well-being programs that are selected by the local workforce. These programs address a wide range of issues from mental health to fitness and nutrition.
Surveys are conducted to ensure that the programs continue to meet the needs of the workforce. The main conclusion from this year's survey was that awareness about our health and well-being programs needs to increase. Roughly one third of the surveyed population said they did not know about the programs, whether or not they are adapted to local needs or if they are effective. The remaining respondents said the programs were adapted to local needs (94%) and they perceived them as effective (84%).
Sandvik records and investigates occupational illnesses to determine their causes and develop prevention strategies. The increasing incidence of work-related mental health issues is causing concern for many communities around the world. Sandvik has already begun developing and implementing education and awareness campaigns to address this concern.
Sandvik continually works to replace hazardous materials with less hazardous options, and to invest in new equipment and improve processes to reduce employee exposure to hazards such as noise, dust and exposure to gases or other substances. We also help customers improve their health and safety through solutions and products that reduce exposure to the same hazards.


text:
Union Pacific Railroad
Roster of Diesel and Turbine Locomotives, 1934-2009
This page was last updated on August 23, 2015.
(Return to UP Diesel Roster Index Page)
Roster Listing
F-M Erie A -- 8 units
2000 horsepower; A1A-A1A trucks; 341,500 pounds operating weight (238,400 pounds weight on drivers)
F-M Erie B -- 5 units
A total of 8 Erie A units (UP 700-707) and 5 Erie B units (UP 700B-706B) were on UP's roster of locomotives.
(Read more about these Fairbanks-Morse units; includes a full roster listing)
EMD GP7 -- 30 units
1500 Horsepower; B-B trucks; operating weight: (see general note, below).
Number Builder
Date Builder
Number Notes
UP 700 Feb 1953 17827 Renumbered to UP 100, 16 November 1953.
UP 708 Mar 1953 17835 Renumbered to UP 108, 19 November 1953.
UP 710 Jun 1953 18569 Renumbered to UP 110, 20 November 1953.
UP 712 Jul 1953 18571 Renumbered to UP 112, 17 November 1953.
UP 716 Aug 1953 18575 Renumbered to UP 116, 17 November 1953.
UP 720 Oct 1953 18711 Renumbered to UP 120, 16 November 1953.
UP 724 Oct 1953 18715 Renumbered to UP 124, by UP upon delivery.
a. Delivered as UP 700-729; renumbered to UP 100-129 during October and November 1953 at Salt Lake, Las Vegas, or Los Angeles, while working on UP's South-Central District (Utah and California divisions).
b. Union Pacific's GP7s were operated long hood forward. The GP7s also had 24 inch exhaust stack extensions, low mounted headlights, emergency warning lights, and an unusual number board arrangement on the long, forward hood. The regular headlights were mounted between the front number boards, 15 inches lower than the EMD standard.
c. UP 700-727 were equipped with 1600 gallon fuel tanks.
d. UP 728 and 729 were equipped with 800 gallon fuel tanks, with 400 gallon water tanks for their steam generators.
e. UP 728 and 729 were equipped with steam generators in November 1953.
f. UP 700-727 had 249,200 pounds operating weight
g. UP 728 and 729 had 246,400 pounds operating weight in freight service; and 253,600 pounds operating weight in passenger service.
h. UP 700-709 were built on EMD order 6483.
i. UP 710-719 were built on EMD order 5245.
j. UP 720-729 were built on EMD order 5305.
k. (Read more about UP's GP7 locomotives)
EMD GP20 -- 30 units
2000 horsepower; B-B trucks; 258,200 pounds operating weight
UP 700 Jul 1960 26045 Renumbered to UP 470 in January 1963.
UP 701 Jul 1960 26046 Renumbered to UP 471 in December 1962.
UP 723 Aug 1960 26068 Renumbered to UP 493 in January 1963.
UP 724 Aug 1960 26069 Renumbered to UP 494 in December 1962.
a. Built as UP 700-729; renumbered to UP 470-499 series in 1962 and 1963 to avoid conflict with new GP30s.
b. Built on EMD order number 5624.
Number Date
UP 700 Feb 1963 28160 23 Nov 1982 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in October 1983.
UP 701 Feb 1963 28161 28 Jul 1989 Leased in October 1989 to City of Mineral Wells, Texas, for service on the city owned, 22-mile long, Mineral Wells & Eastern Railroad, formerly Union Pacific's Weatherford, Mineral Wells & Northwestern Railway; sold to City of Minerals Wells, Texas, in February 1990; sold to Acadiana Railway 701, Opelousas, La, by mid March 1993.
UP 702 Feb 1963 28162 2 Feb 1987 Sold to National Railway Equipment, 8 January 1988; sold to Soo Line in August 1988, stored at Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, Minn., until sold to National Railway Equipment in late 1992.
UP 703 Feb 1963 28163 15 Mar 1984 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in December 1985.
UP 705 Feb 1963 28165 May 1985 Sold to Southwest Railroad Car Parts, Longview, Texas, 2 April 1987; sold to Soo Line August 1988.
UP 706 Feb 1963 28166 10 Jan 1987 Sold to National Railway Equipment, 8 January 1988; sold to Soo Line August 1988, stored at Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, Minn, until sold back to National Railway Equipment in late 1992.
UP 707 Feb 1963 28167 15 Mar 1984 Sold for scrap to David J. Joseph Co., Norfolk, Nebraska, in February 1986.
UP 708 Feb 1963 28168 Aug 1982 Sold to Great Northern Transportation (Colorado & Eastern Railroad; COE) in January 1983; sold to Pielet Brothers Scrap Iron & Metal, McCook, Illinois, 7 August 1988; scrapped.
UP 709 Feb 1963 28169 23 Nov 1982 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in December 1985.
UP 710 Feb 1963 28190 Nov 1982 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in March 1983.
UP 711 Feb 1963 28191 10 Jan 1987 Sold to National Railway Equipment, 8 January 1988; sold to Soo Line in August 1988, stored at Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, Minn, until sold back to National Railway Equipment in late 1992.
UP 712 Feb 1963 28192 Jul 1982 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in October 1983.
UP 713 Feb 1963 28193 Jun 1982 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, in April 1983; scrapped by Joseph Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Washington.
UP 715 Feb 1963 28195 Mar 1986 Wrecked (cracked frame). Stripped of usable parts by UP, frame (on flat car) sold to Precision National Corp., Mount Vernon, Illinois, 20 April 1987.
UP 716 Feb 1963 28196 Jul 1982 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in November 1983.
UP 717 Feb 1963 28197 Aug 1984 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, 27 February 1986; scrapped by General Metals, Tacoma, Washington, in May 1986.
UP 718 Feb 1963 28198 Aug 1985 Sold to Great Northern Transportation (Colorado & Eastern Railroad; COE), 5 September 1985. Stored on Council Bluffs Railway, Council Bluffs, Iowa, during mid July 1992. To Iowa Southern.
UP 719 Feb 1963 28199 15 Mar 1984 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, 12 November 1985.
UP 720 Feb 1963 28200 9 Feb 1987 Wrecked; sold to Durbano, Ogden, Utah, 3 June 1987.
UP 721 Mar 1963 28201 Feb 1983 Sold to Great Northern Transportation (Colorado & Eastern Railroad; COE) in February 1983; sold to Pielet Brothers Scrap Iron & Metal, McCook, Illinois, in February 1989.
UP 722 Mar 1963 28202 23 Nov 1982 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in March 1983; sold to ATSF for parts in February 1984.
UP 723 Mar 1963 28203 6 Jun 1989 Sold to Railway Motive Power Services, Mead (Spokane), Washington, in September 1989, along with UP 874. Both units traded to BN for BN GP9s 1712 and 1736. Rebuilt to BN GP39M 2833, completed on 23 April 1990.
UP 724 Mar 1963 28204 Apr 1982 Sold for scrap to General Metals, Tacoma, Washington, 28 December 1982.
UP 725 Mar 1963 28205 8 Oct 1985 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in December 1985.
UP 726 Mar 1963 28206 17 Aug 1988 Sold to Morrison Knudsen in November 1988, rebuilt to BN GP39M 2807, completed 10 March 1989.
UP 727 Mar 1963 28207 15 Mar 1984 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in January 1986.
UP 728 Mar 1963 28208 15 Mar 1984 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in January 1985.
UP 729 Mar 1963 28209 10 Jan 1987 Sold for scrap to Pielet Brothers Scrap Iron & Metal, McCook, Illinois, 26 June 1987.
UP 730 Mar 1963 28210 Nov 1985 Sold to National Railway Equipment, 8 January 1988; sold to Soo Line in August 1988, stored at Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, Minn, until sold back to National Railway Equipment in late 1992.
UP 731 Mar 1963 28211 Mar 1982 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, in April 1983; scrapped by Joseph Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Washington.
UP 732 Mar 1963 28212 10 Aug 1987 Sold to National Railway Equipment, 8 January 1988; sold to Soo Line in August 1988, stored at Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, Minn, until sold back to National Railway Equipment in late 1992.
UP 733 Mar 1963 28213 15 Mar 1984 Sold for scrap to General Metals, Tacoma, Washington, 19 July 1984.
UP 734 Mar 1963 28214 Apr 1982 Scrapped by UP at Omaha in November 1982.
UP 735 Jun 1963 28351 Mar 1984 Stripped of usable parts by Union Pacific at Salt Lake City, Utah. Frame sold for scrap to David J. Joseph Co., Plymouth, Utah in February, 1986.
a. UP 700-734 were built using some components, such as trucks and traction motors, from trade-in F3/F7As and Bs.
b. UP 735 was built using some components from wrecked F9A 516 which was used as a direct trade-in.
c. UP 719 was equipped with 59:18 gear ratio and a 2500 horsepower EMD 16-567D3A engine (with 645 power assemblies) from about 1970 to mid-1980 when it was returned to 62:15 gear ratio. UP called it a GP30MA. The unit had an operating weight of 263,400 pounds.
d. UP 703, 704, 707, 719, 727, 728, and 733 (seven units, along with 11 800 class GP30s) retired between late 1982 and mid 1983. All were reinstated in September 1983 and rebuilt using the engines, and sometimes the main generator, from retired GP30Bs. UP 707 was the last to be returned to service, in January 1984.
e. UP 701 and 723 were the last 700-class GP30s to operate on UP, retired in July and June 1989.
f. Built on EMD order 7648.
EMD GP30B -- 27 units
UP 700B Apr 1963 28215 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in September 1986.
UP 702B Apr 1963 28217 Sep 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in September 1986.
UP 703B Apr 1963 28218 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to Durbano, Ogden, Utah in November 1985; scrapped September 1986.
UP 704B Apr 1963 28219 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to Durbano, Ogden, Utah in December 1985; scrapped September 1986.
UP 705B Apr 1963 28220 Jun 1981 Sold for scrap to General Metals, Tacoma, Washington, 31 August 1981.
UP 706B Apr 1963 28221 Feb 1981 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, 28 April 1981; scrapped by Joseph Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Washington, in June 1981.
UP 707B May 1963 28222 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in September 1986.
UP 708B May 1963 28223 Oct 1980 Long hood used to repair GP30 853. Frame Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kansas, 5 January 1981.
UP 710B May 1963 28225 Feb 1970 Wrecked on 17 February 1970 at Grand Island, Nebraska; sold to EMD April 1970.
UP 712B May 1963 28227 Aug 1977 Wrecked in June 1977 at Archer, Wyoming; scrapped by Union Pacific at Omaha in July 1977.
UP 713B May 1963 28228 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in January 1985.
UP 714B May 1963 28229 Feb 1981 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, 28 April 1981; scrapped by Joseph Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Washington, in June 1981.
UP 716B May 1963 28231 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to Azcon Hyman Michaels, Alton, Illinois, in July 1985.
UP 718B Jun 1963 28233 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, 12 November 1985.
UP 719B Jun 1963 28234 25 Oct 1980 Wrecked in August 1980 at North Platte, Nebraska.
UP 720B Jun 1963 28235 Oct 1980 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, 28 April 1981; scrapped by Joseph Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Washington, in June 1981.
UP 721B Jun 1963 28236 7 Nov 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in December 1984.
UP 722B Jun 1963 28237 Sep 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in September 1986.
UP 725B Jun 1963 28240 Sep 1983 Stored at Yermo, California, until sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in September 1986. (Previously published as being wrecked in June 1977 at Speer, Wyoming, and scrapped by UP at Omaha, Nebraska, in August 1977; correction based on dated slide from Ken Houghton, and current news reports in The Mixed Train, Extra 2200 South and CTC Board.)
UP 726B Jun 1963 28241 Sep 1983 Sold for scrap to Azcon Hyman Michaels, Alton, Illinois, in July 1985.
a. UP 700B-726B were built using some components, such as trucks and traction motors, from trade-in F3/F7As and Bs.
2250 horsepower; B-B trucks; operating weight (see general note, below)
UP 727B Jun 1963 28242 Mar 1981 Sold to Precision National Corp., Mount Vernon, Illinois, 15 June 1981.
UP 730B Jun 1963 28245 Mar 1981 Sold to Bargains Galore, Vancouver, Washington, 20 July 1981; scrapped by Joseph Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Washington.
UP 731B Jun 1963 28246 Sep 1983 Sold for scrap to Azcon Hyman Michaels, Alton, Illinois, in August 1985.
UP 733B Jul 1963 28248 Sep 1983 Sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding, East St. Louis, Illinois, in September 1986.
UP 734B Jul 1963 28249 Mar 1981 Sold to Precision National Corp., Mount Vernon, Illinois, 15 June 1981.
UP 738B Jul 1963 28253 25 Oct 1980 Sold for scrap to Naporano Iron & Metal, Newark, N.J., on 5 May 1981.
UP 739B Jul 1963 28254 Oct 1983 Sold for scrap to Durbano, Ogden, Utah in November 1985; scrapped September 1986.
b. UP 727B-739B were equipped with steam generators for standby passenger service; by the early 1970s all steam generators had been retired in place on the locomotives.
c. Operating weight: 262,900 pounds in freight service; 272,100 pounds in passenger service.
d. Built on EMD order number 7651.
EMD GP40 -- 9 units
Number First
Retired Notes
(UP 718) D&RGW 3060 Jan 1966 31004 22 Aug 2001
(UP 719) D&RGW 3064 Sep 1966 32170 28 Sep 1998 1
(UP 720) D&RGW 3054 Jan 1966 30998 26 Dec 2001
(UP 721) D&RGW 3072 Feb 1967 32883 15 May 2000
(UP 724) D&RGW 3078 Feb 1967 32889 4 Jun 1998 2
(UP 725) D&RGW 3079 Feb 1967 32890 28 Jul 1999
(UP 726) D&RGW 3080 Feb 1967 32891 20 Jun 2001
a. Original total of D&RGW 30 units, numbered D&RGW 3051-3080; SP retired 14 units (D&RGW 3052, 3055-3058, 3063, 3065, 3067, 3069, 3070, 3073, 3074, 3076, and 3077) prior to the merger.
b. Total of 16 units to UP at merger; nine units (above) were assigned UP 718-726; the other seven units were not assigned UP numbers; all 16 units were retired by UP between March 1997 and December 2001.
c. Not assigned new numbers in the December 1999 renumber plan.
d. See also: D&RGW GP40 roster for full details of the original 30 units.
1. D&RGW 3064 was retired by SP in December 1993; stored out of service at Denver at the time of the UP merger; in service on UP during August 1998; sold by UP to EMD on 28 September 1998, moved to VMV Enterprises at Paducah, Kentucky, during November 1998. (An incorrect published report showed that D&RGW 3064 was supposedly sold by OmniTRAX in January 1995, then to South East Kansas Railroad (SEKR), but there is no further record of such a sale.)
2. D&RGW 3078 was sold to Helm Financial on 29 May 1998; rebuilt to a GP38-2 by Boise Locomotive Co., Boise, Idaho; completed as UP 2581 on 18 December 1998 (assigned UP 1081).
Number Previous
(UP 727) D&RGW 3131 Aug 1968 34290 25 May 2001
(UP 728) D&RGW 3132 Aug 1968 34292 12 Oct 2000
(UP 729) D&RGW 3136 Aug 1968 34301 26 Apr 2000 1
(UP 730) SP 3138 Aug 1968 34303 30 Jun 1999 2
D&RGW 3139 Aug 1968 34304 26 Mar 1997 3
(UP 731) D&RGW 3141 Sep 1968 34306 17 Jul 2001
(UP 732) D&RGW 3142 Sep 1968 34330 25 May 2001
(UP 733) D&RGW 3147 Sep 1968 34336 16 Jul 1997 4
(UP 734) D&RGW 3148 Sep 1968 34337 4 Jun 1998 5
(UP 735) D&RGW 3149 Oct 1968 34340 15 May 2000
(UP 736) D&RGW 3151 Oct 1968 34343 26 Apr 2000 1
D&RGW 3152 Oct 1968 34345 26 Mar 1997 6
(UP 737) D&RGW 3153 Oct 1968 34346 26 Mar 1997 7
a. Original total of 23 D&RGW units, numbered D&RGW 3131-3153; SP retired 10 units (D&RGW 3133, 3134, 3135, 3137, 3140, 3143, 3144, 3145, 3146, 3150) prior to the merger; two units (D&RGW 3139 and 3152) were out of service at time of the merger and were not assigned UP numbers.
b. Built as Penn Central units; to Conrail in 1976; lease to Conrail expired and units returned to owner/lessor; leased by D&RGW for 90 days beginning in November 1983, using former CR road numbers; purchased in January 1984 and repainted to D&RGW.
c. Total of 13 units to UP at merger; 11 units assigned UP 727-737, none renumbered prior to retirement (all 13 units retired by UP from March 1997 to May 2001).
d. Not assigned new numbers in the December 1999 renumber plan.
e. See also: D&RGW GP40 roster for full details of the original 23 units.
f. Individual unit histories:
Number Second
Number Third
Number Fourth
Number Fifth
UP 727 PC 3113 CR 3113 D&RGW 3173 D&RGW 3131
UP 730 PC 3126 CR 3126 D&RGW 3174 D&RGW 3138 SP 3138
PC 3127 CR 3127 D&RGW 3170 D&RGW 3139
1. D&RGW 3136 and 3151 were moved from NRE at Mount Vernon, Illinois, to VMV Enterprises, Paducah, Kentucky, in late January 2001.
2. D&RGW 3138 was repainted to SP 3138 before July 1996.
3. D&RGW 3139 was out of service at the time of the UP merger and was not assigned a UP number; sold by UP to Helm Financial on 29 May 1998; rebuilt to a GP38-2 by Boise Locomotive Co., Boise, Idaho (BLC), completed as UP 2582 on 17 September 1998 (assigned UP 1082).
4. D&RGW 3147 (assigned UP 733) was sold to Helm Financial on 29 May 1998; rebuilt to a GP38-2 by BLC; completed as UP 2583 on 23 September 1998 (assigned UP 1083).
5. D&RGW 3148 (assigned UP 734) was sold to Helm Financial on 29 May 1998; rebuilt to a GP38-2 by BLC; completed as UP 2584 on 8 October 1998 (assigned UP 1084).
6. D&RGW 3152 was out of service at the time of the UP merger and was not assigned a UP number; sold by UP to Helm Financial on 29 May 1998; rebuilt to a GP38-2 by BLC, completed as UP 2585 on 11 August 1998 (assigned UP 1085).
7. D&RGW 3153 (assigned UP 737) was sold to Helm Financial on 29 May 1998; rebuilt to a GP38-2 by BLC; completed as UP 2586 on 8 November 1998 (assigned UP 1086).


The word dystonia is used to describe a disturbance in muscle tone (tension) that results in a lack of muscular coordination. The muscles seem to have gotten a will of their own and don't act the way you would like them to.
Embouchure dystonia is a form of task-specific focal dystonia. This means that symptoms occur in a relatively small (focused) area, such as the embouchure, and that the muscles only 'misbehave' during certain specific activities, such as playing a musical instrument. Common features are cramps and trembling in the embouchure, air leaking through the corners of the mouth, but coordination of the tongue and/or jaw muscles is often impaired as well.
Playing too much, not taking enough time to recover.
Trying to play things that are beyond your current abilities.
Forcing your way through a bad day.
Having a bad day when you need to perform well.
An accident damaging your lips and/or teeth.
Critical remarks on your playing or how your embouchure looks.
Being laughed at when making a mistake.
Trying to imitate someone else's (outer) way of playing.
Embouchure dystonia is not a disease, however, it is a symptom, the outer manifestation of a deeper, inner conflict, which involves not only muscles and nerves, but your entire being. That's why it has such a profound impact on those who suffer from it. And that's also why it's necessary to look beyond a merely physical approach for recovery.
Are you trying to hit the note, or are you trying not to miss it? Are you attempting to play well, or are you more concerned with not playing badly? Is there anticipation of joy, or fear of failure?
If you are suffering from embouchure dystonia, you will probably recognize these polarities within yourself. You are trying to achieve something, yet at the same time, you are trying to prevent something. It's as if you have one foot on the gas and the other on the brake: you are sending out conflicting messages to your body.
To make matters worse, the brain does not recognize the word "not" in a command. If you want to test for yourself how powerful this is, try not to think of monkeys for a minute. The harder you try not to think of them, the more you will!
The word "not" is simply cancelled out. Instead of trying not to miss a note, the brain will try to miss it. Rather than trying not to fail, it will try to fail. Combined with hard work and a tendency toward perfectionism and strong self-criticism, you are setting yourself up for disaster. When this downward spiral hits rock bottom, you will have built up such a momentum that the whole system crashes. You are done trying. Now, you will make sure that you miss, that you fail. And that's exactly what happens. You can no longer control your embouchure muscles, and similar to the thought experiment, the more you will try not to experience the symptoms, the worse they will tend to get.
Maybe the first step on your way to recovery, is to understand and accept that embouchure dystonia is self-created. In essence, it is a form of self-sabotage. This may be hard to swallow, but it has a bright side to it as well, as this means it is also possible for you to undo.
Mistakes and failure are an inevitable and even necessary part of every developmental process. There is a good reason for the old saying, "you learn by making mistakes." Please allow yourself to make mistakes, to sound bad, even to experience your symptoms. Don't resist. You have to accept where you are right now in order to move forward.
As the word playing implies, playing music should be fun. Of course, you may have to work hard for it, but it should also be a joyful experience rather than the dreaded torture associated with embouchure dystonia, so part of the recovery process has to be an effort to regain some sense of joy and fulfilment in playing your instrument, despite current conditions. With a tendency toward strong self-criticism, this may prove to be a big hurdle, so remember: don't judge yourself too harshly. Maybe you can't help it, out of habit, but it is not helping you. Try to be mild toward yourself.
Musicians tend to identify themselves very strongly with their art and craft. Music is not something that they do, it is who they are. Along with losing their playing ability, to a large extent they lose their sense of identity and self-worth. But there is much to be gained from discovering the person behind the musician, as what you are is so much more than what you do, and in that sense, I can testify from my own experience that embouchure dystonia, despite the struggle of dealing with it, may actually prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Next to being a trumpet teacher specialized in The Balanced Embouchure, I also run a practice where I help people achieve better balance in body and mind, primarily through the brain. Combining the knowledge and tools from both backgrounds, I have a unique and broad skill set to help and guide you in the process of recovery from embouchure dystonia.
Recognizing and resolving conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Releasing excess physical tension and achieving a higher state of balance in the brain.
These points are all interrelated and should be treated as parts of a greater whole. If you have any questions or if you need help to recover from embouchure dystonia, please contact me.


Cheung Kong Center is a 62-storey skyscraper on Queens Road, Central, which the business hub of Hong Kong. It is crowned as Grade AAA+ office building. Cheung Kong Centre is next to the relaxing Cheung Kong Park which gives you a hint of fresh air every morning. The office layouts are functional and in style. Tenants can maximize the use of office space in the most efficient way. Cheung Kong Center strives for the success of becoming the most reliable, efficient and safest office building in Hong Kong by setting up a professional management team.
Cheung Kong Center is 5-minute walking distance from Central MTR Station with a covered underpass directly connected. It has easy access to all main public transports. Bus, minibus, tram and ferry are available nearby. The highly accessible location of the center allows quick access to Hong Kong MTR stations and the high speed Airport Express in-town check-in. It has an underground car park with up to 1000 parking spaces.
Cheung Kong Center is linked to different major buildings in Central: prime banking buildings like Citibank in 6 minutes and Bank of China Tower in 5 minutes, supreme shopping arcades like the Landmark in 1 minute and Marks and Spencer in 6 minutes and government bodies such as Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority by an elevated walkway. The elevated walkway network enables tenants to have an easy access to anywhere close by. Securities and Futures Commissions and ABN AMRO Bank are one of the tenants in Cheung Kong Center.


text:
Reports, Publications and Presentations
Transfer Admission
Academic, Career and Student Services
Textile Protection And Comfort Center
May 5, 2016 | Student, TECS
Internships and More Internships Drive Textile Student's Career
By Susan Fandel
Internships and the invaluable on-the-job experiences they provide have not only been Wilson College of Textiles senior Adam Barksdale's favorite aspect of college, they have helped him launch his career.
Since arriving at NC State in 2010, Barksdale, who will graduate May 7 with his bachelor's degree in textile engineering with an information systems design concentration, has completed four internships. Two were completed at NASA Langley Research Center in his hometown of Hampton, Va., in 2011 and 2012. A 2014 internship was with Technimark, an injection molding company; and the last was with bedding provider Tempur Sealy in the summer of 2015.
In addition to the industry and technical knowledge he picked up as a LARSS intern at NASA, a quality engineer intern with Technimark, and a global product development intern with Tempur Sealy ("I helped in making sure your mattress lasts 10 years"), Barksdale learned how to problem solve and work with different kinds of people.
"They all provided different experiences. But each helped me figure out what I liked to do and what I didn't. They helped me with my job hunt and with interviewing. I had so much experience that I could talk about when I sat down with interviewers," he said.
The result of those interviews is a position with car manufacturer Nissan. Barksdale will relocate to Farmington Hills, Mich., after graduation. There he will work as an interior trim product engineer.
"Everything in a car minus the seats and the dashboard is interior trim," said Barksdale who is excited to work in the automotive industry.
Nissan also appealed to him because of their commitment to community involvement. The company recently received the Chairman's Award from the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). The award recognizes Nissan's commitment to NSBE's mission to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.
Community service is near and dear to Barksdale. Since his freshman year, he has been an involved member of NC State's Collegiate 100, an auxiliary organization to the 100 Black Men of America. The organization's purpose it to assist the 100 Black Men to "develop the social, educational, emotional, and physical needs of the young black males who are in need of positive role models." Barksdale was able to do just that by mentoring students at A. B. Combs Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh.
"I worked with them on leadership and had the chance to get them excited about college and engineering," he said.
Barksdale, who started college as a mechanical engineering major before transferring to textiles because it better fit his interests, said his NC State experience has been one he'll never forget.
"I've enjoyed it so much. Hanging out with friends. Being at a place where faculty and staff make sure that I am succeeding, it's been great," he said.
Published in Student, TECS.
Tags: Graduate, Leadership, Nissan, textile engineering
Outstanding Teacher Russell Gorga Helps Students Connect with Concepts	T-PACC Launches a Consortium to Address Comfort Methods and Standards for Performance Textiles


As an Akron, Ohio couple were sleeping a 38 year old man broke into their home. Their dogs began to bark, which rustled the pair, but before they could act their bedroom door swung open and there stood an ex con who had been convicted of attempted aggravated murder. Quick thinking and the Second Amendment saved their lives. The 61 year old victim grabbed a gun, pointed it at the suspect, and held him in his sights while the 43 year old woman dialed 911. She then grabbed another gun and also held it on the suspect until police arrived.
The suspect, DeJuan McCraney, was convicted in 2001 of attempted aggravated murder and released from prison in 2010. According to Akron police, McCraney did not have a gun in his possession when he entered the victim's bedroom. Police later found McCraney's jacket lying on the couple's sofa with a 9 mm handgun inside. The guns that the victim's possessed were legal. The suspect's gun was illegal. McCraney now faces charges of aggravated burglary and illegal weapons possession.


text:
using System;
using System.ServiceModel.Channels;

namespace Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.Wcf.Implementation
{
    internal static class WcfExtensions
    {
        public static HttpRequestMessageProperty GetHttpRequestHeaders(this IOperationContext operation)
        {
            if ( operation.HasIncomingMessageProperty(HttpRequestMessageProperty.Name) )
            {
                return (HttpRequestMessageProperty)operation.GetIncomingMessageProperty(HttpRequestMessageProperty.Name);
            }
            return null;
        }
        public static HttpResponseMessageProperty GetHttpResponseHeaders(this IOperationContext operation)
        {
            if ( operation.HasOutgoingMessageProperty(HttpResponseMessageProperty.Name) )
            {
                return (HttpResponseMessageProperty)operation.GetOutgoingMessageProperty(HttpResponseMessageProperty.Name);
            }
            return null;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Jill Sadler is the Web Assistant at the Chicago Historical Society. She has been a web designer for three years working on various freelance assignments and projects for the museum. Her background in English and Art History has led her to her current interest in interface design and optimizing written web content.


text:
Donate Menu
Sign Up for PJ Library Mid-Hudson Valley
PJ Library® is a national program that each month sends FREE, age-appropriate, Jewish-themed books and music to children 0 to 8 years of age. For children ages 9-11, PJ Our Way offers exceptional Jewish-themed books that kids can choose themselves! Jewish families are invited to register for the program no matter their Jewish background, knowledge or level of observance.
The Mid-Hudson Valley PJ Library offers programs, activities and gatherings to engage children and connect families. As a part of more than 180 participating communities across the United States and Canada, PJ Library Mid-Hudson Valley invites you and your child to be inspired by Jewish ideas through the exploration of PJ Library books each month.
A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library Mid-Hudson Valley is made possible in part through our generous partnerships with The Harding Club, The Jewish Federation of Ulster County, and other individuals who care about young Jewish families in our region.
Mid-Hudson Valley PJ Library serves families in Dutchess, Ulster and Columbia Counties. Check us out on our Facebook page. To register your child, go to the PJ Library website. For additional information about the activities of the Mid-Hudson Valley PJ Library program email PJ Library Program Director, Kimberly Ritz or contact the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County office at (845) 471-9811.
If you are interested in becoming a Family of the Month, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to Follow Us on Instagram


text:
Project acronym BALDWINIAN_BEETLES
Project "The origin of the fittest: canalization, plasticity and selection as a consequence of provisioning during development"
Researcher (PI) Rebecca Kilner
Summary "A major outstanding challenge for evolutionary biology is to explain how novel adaptations arise. We propose to test whether developmental plasticity initiates evolutionary change in morphological, behavioural and social traits, using laboratory experiments, fieldwork and comparative analyses. Using burying beetles Nicrophorus spp as our model experimental system, we shall: 1) Test whether variation in parental provisioning during development induces correlated phenotypic change in adult body size and a suite of life history traits; whether these phenotypic changes can be genetically accommodated under experimental evolution (the Baldwin Effect); and whether changes induced by experimental evolution mimic natural variation in adult body size and life history strategy among Nicrophorus species; 2) Test whether parental provisioning has a canalizing effect on the developmental environment, potentially storing up cryptic genetic variation which might then be released as random new phenotypes, if offspring are exposed to a new developmental environment; 3) Investigate whether developmental trade-offs, induced by under-provisioning from parents, provide the first step towards the evolution of a novel interspecific mutualism. Is a second species recruited in adulthood to carry out the function of a structure that was under-nourished during development? 4) Using comparative analyses of data from the literature on insects, frogs, birds and mammals, we shall test whether the evolution of parental provisioning in a given lineage is positively correlated with the number of species in the lineage. Our proposal is original in focusing on developmental plasticity induced by variation in parental provisioning. Given the diverse and numerous species that provision their young, including several whose genomes have now been sequenced, this potentially opens up a rich new area for future work on the developmental mechanisms underlying evolutionary innovations."
"A major outstanding challenge for evolutionary biology is to explain how novel adaptations arise. We propose to test whether developmental plasticity initiates evolutionary change in morphological, behavioural and social traits, using laboratory experiments, fieldwork and comparative analyses. Using burying beetles Nicrophorus spp as our model experimental system, we shall: 1) Test whether variation in parental provisioning during development induces correlated phenotypic change in adult body size and a suite of life history traits; whether these phenotypic changes can be genetically accommodated under experimental evolution (the Baldwin Effect); and whether changes induced by experimental evolution mimic natural variation in adult body size and life history strategy among Nicrophorus species; 2) Test whether parental provisioning has a canalizing effect on the developmental environment, potentially storing up cryptic genetic variation which might then be released as random new phenotypes, if offspring are exposed to a new developmental environment; 3) Investigate whether developmental trade-offs, induced by under-provisioning from parents, provide the first step towards the evolution of a novel interspecific mutualism. Is a second species recruited in adulthood to carry out the function of a structure that was under-nourished during development? 4) Using comparative analyses of data from the literature on insects, frogs, birds and mammals, we shall test whether the evolution of parental provisioning in a given lineage is positively correlated with the number of species in the lineage. Our proposal is original in focusing on developmental plasticity induced by variation in parental provisioning. Given the diverse and numerous species that provision their young, including several whose genomes have now been sequenced, this potentially opens up a rich new area for future work on the developmental mechanisms underlying evolutionary innovations."
Project acronym CDREG
Project Carbon dioxide regulation of Earth's ecological weathering engine: from microorganisms to ecosystems
Researcher (PI) David Beerling
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Summary CDREG develops the major new Earth system science research hypothesis that tectonic-related variations in Earth's atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]a) drive negative ecological feedbacks on terrestrial silicate weathering rates that stabilise further [CO2]a change and regulate climate. This paradigm-changing hypothesis integrates ecological and abiotic controls on silicate weathering to understand how terrestrial ecosystems have shaped past Earth system dynamics. The proposed ecological feedbacks are mechanistically linked to the extent and activities of forested ecosystems and their symbiotic fungal partners as the primary engines of biological weathering. CDREG's core hypothesis establishes an exciting cross-disciplinary Research Programme that offers novel opportunities for major breakthroughs implemented through four linked hypothesis-driven work packages (WPs) employing experimental, geochemical and numerical modelling approaches. WP1 quantitatively characterises [CO2]a-driven tree/grass-fungal mineral weathering by coupling metabolic profiling with advanced nanometre scale surface metrological techniques for investigating hyphal-mineral interactions. WP2 quantifies the role [CO2]a-drought interactions on savanna tree mortality and C4 grass survivorship, plus symbiotic fungal-driven mineral weathering. WP3 exploits the past 8 Ma of marine sediment archives to investigate the links between forest to savanna transition, terrestrial weathering, fire, and climate in Africa. WP4 integrates findings from WP1-3 into a new Earth system modelling framework to rigorously investigate the biogeochemical feedbacks of [CO2]a-regulated ecological weathering on [CO2]a via marine carbonate deposition and organic C burial. The ultimate goal is to provide a new synthesis in which the role of [CO2]a in regulating the ecological weathering engine across scales from root-associated microorganisms to terrestrial ecosystems is mechanistically understood and assessed.
CDREG develops the major new Earth system science research hypothesis that tectonic-related variations in Earth's atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]a) drive negative ecological feedbacks on terrestrial silicate weathering rates that stabilise further [CO2]a change and regulate climate. This paradigm-changing hypothesis integrates ecological and abiotic controls on silicate weathering to understand how terrestrial ecosystems have shaped past Earth system dynamics. The proposed ecological feedbacks are mechanistically linked to the extent and activities of forested ecosystems and their symbiotic fungal partners as the primary engines of biological weathering. CDREG's core hypothesis establishes an exciting cross-disciplinary Research Programme that offers novel opportunities for major breakthroughs implemented through four linked hypothesis-driven work packages (WPs) employing experimental, geochemical and numerical modelling approaches. WP1 quantitatively characterises [CO2]a-driven tree/grass-fungal mineral weathering by coupling metabolic profiling with advanced nanometre scale surface metrological techniques for investigating hyphal-mineral interactions. WP2 quantifies the role [CO2]a-drought interactions on savanna tree mortality and C4 grass survivorship, plus symbiotic fungal-driven mineral weathering. WP3 exploits the past 8 Ma of marine sediment archives to investigate the links between forest to savanna transition, terrestrial weathering, fire, and climate in Africa. WP4 integrates findings from WP1-3 into a new Earth system modelling framework to rigorously investigate the biogeochemical feedbacks of [CO2]a-regulated ecological weathering on [CO2]a via marine carbonate deposition and organic C burial. The ultimate goal is to provide a new synthesis in which the role of [CO2]a in regulating the ecological weathering engine across scales from root-associated microorganisms to terrestrial ecosystems is mechanistically understood and assessed.
Project acronym COEVOCON
Project Coevolution of bacteria and conjugative plasmids
Researcher (PI) Michael Brockhurst
Summary Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a fundamental process of bacterial evolution, accelerating adaptation to novel environments and providing access to new ecological niches. However, two of the three mechanisms of HGT, transduction and conjugation, both rely on semi-autonomous vectors (lysogenic phages and conjugative plasmids, respectively), creating the potential for coadaptation between microbe and vector. I here focus on conjugative plasmids. These encode their own replication and transfer, and as such are capable of pursuing their own fitness interests, which need not be aligned with those of their bacterial host. My thesis is that bacterial adaptation by conjugation must therefore be viewed as a co-evolutionary, rather than simply an evolutionary process as achieved to date. In this proposal I take an experimental evolution approach to derive an empirically founded understanding of bacteria-plasmid coevolutionary processes. In particular, I focus on the effects (on the pattern and process of bacteria-plasmid coevolution) of ecological variables identified in population models as crucial to the persistence of conjugative plasmids: environmental heterogeneity, spatial structure, and between-species transfer. Drawing on coevolutionary theory, I highlight that the ecological conditions expected to favour plasmid persistence may often drive the breakdown of bacteria-plasmid coadaptation. Additionally, I will determine the consequences of bacteria-plasmid coevolution for the structuring of microbial communities.
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a fundamental process of bacterial evolution, accelerating adaptation to novel environments and providing access to new ecological niches. However, two of the three mechanisms of HGT, transduction and conjugation, both rely on semi-autonomous vectors (lysogenic phages and conjugative plasmids, respectively), creating the potential for coadaptation between microbe and vector. I here focus on conjugative plasmids. These encode their own replication and transfer, and as such are capable of pursuing their own fitness interests, which need not be aligned with those of their bacterial host. My thesis is that bacterial adaptation by conjugation must therefore be viewed as a co-evolutionary, rather than simply an evolutionary process as achieved to date. In this proposal I take an experimental evolution approach to derive an empirically founded understanding of bacteria-plasmid coevolutionary processes. In particular, I focus on the effects (on the pattern and process of bacteria-plasmid coevolution) of ecological variables identified in population models as crucial to the persistence of conjugative plasmids: environmental heterogeneity, spatial structure, and between-species transfer. Drawing on coevolutionary theory, I highlight that the ecological conditions expected to favour plasmid persistence may often drive the breakdown of bacteria-plasmid coadaptation. Additionally, I will determine the consequences of bacteria-plasmid coevolution for the structuring of microbial communities.
Project acronym DMEA
Project The Dynamics of Migration and Economic Adjustment
Researcher (PI) Christian Dustmann
Summary The research proposed here is concerned with the dynamics of immigrant impacts and the process of economic adaptation in receiving societies. The immigration process is inherently dynamic: many new immigrants return home within a short time; and those that remain undergo a long term series of investments and behavioural changes that gradually alter the way that they interact with the economy of the receiving country. Moreover, in the longer run the presence of immigrants affects the choices of firms over new technology investments, and the choices of native workers over schooling and occupations. Thus simple static frameworks provide an incomplete and even potentially misleading perspective for understanding modern immigration patterns. The point of departure for this proposed research is the recognition that we need to reformulate the analysis of immigrant impacts in a fully dynamic framework, acknowledging the inter-temporal choices of immigrants, firms, and native workers and the ways that these three groups of agents interact over a longer horizon. Our approach involves treating immigration as a dynamic shock, where the dynamics relates to the different agents involved: immigrants, who change their position in the native skill distribution over time as a result of their life-cycle decisions; firms, who react by adjusting their technologies, product mix, and their involvement with institutions and regulatory environment; and native workers, who adjust by changing their career plans. Our work will combine highly innovative theoretical perspectives with state-of-the-art empirical analyses exploiting unique policy experiments and exceptional data sources, merging longitudinal administrative population data with data from firm and individual surveys. This agenda will enable us to construct a comprehensive picture of the adjustment process in response to immigration and open new horizons for future research on the impact of immigration in a dynamic framework.
The research proposed here is concerned with the dynamics of immigrant impacts and the process of economic adaptation in receiving societies. The immigration process is inherently dynamic: many new immigrants return home within a short time; and those that remain undergo a long term series of investments and behavioural changes that gradually alter the way that they interact with the economy of the receiving country. Moreover, in the longer run the presence of immigrants affects the choices of firms over new technology investments, and the choices of native workers over schooling and occupations. Thus simple static frameworks provide an incomplete and even potentially misleading perspective for understanding modern immigration patterns. The point of departure for this proposed research is the recognition that we need to reformulate the analysis of immigrant impacts in a fully dynamic framework, acknowledging the inter-temporal choices of immigrants, firms, and native workers and the ways that these three groups of agents interact over a longer horizon. Our approach involves treating immigration as a dynamic shock, where the dynamics relates to the different agents involved: immigrants, who change their position in the native skill distribution over time as a result of their life-cycle decisions; firms, who react by adjusting their technologies, product mix, and their involvement with institutions and regulatory environment; and native workers, who adjust by changing their career plans. Our work will combine highly innovative theoretical perspectives with state-of-the-art empirical analyses exploiting unique policy experiments and exceptional data sources, merging longitudinal administrative population data with data from firm and individual surveys. This agenda will enable us to construct a comprehensive picture of the adjustment process in response to immigration and open new horizons for future research on the impact of immigration in a dynamic framework.
Project acronym EVOGENO
Project Dissecting the genetic basis of divergent and convergent evolution: From individuals to species radiations
Researcher (PI) Stephen James Rossiter
Host Institution (HI) QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
Summary Advances in genomics offer new opportunities for identifying loci that behave unusually against a background of neutral variation. Detecting divergent sites among related individuals and taxa can shed light on the process of adaptive divergence, from non-random mating to the establishment of reproductive barriers. Conversely, identifying convergent sites among unrelated taxa can offer insights into deeper level ecological radiations. This project will study genes underpinning evolutionary divergence at several stages. Discovering genome-wide 'gene outliers' presents enormous challenges. I argue these can be overcome by combining and applying phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses with deep sequencing to exceptional study systems. Among mammals, bats are unique in having independently evolved laryngeal echolocation and nectarivory, both implicated in their unparalleled adaptive radiation. We will (i) use a novel phylogenomic approach to identify genes under convergent and divergent selection associated with acoustic and dietary diversification. (ii) We will then discover additional loci implicated in diverging incipient sympatric taxa that have undergone recent dramatic call frequency shifts. (iii) We will identify genome-wide loci that show anomalous divergence and non-random combinations between faithfully breeding pairs of bats in a population where outbreeding increases fitness. These complementary studies will produce a database of candidate loci implicated in ecological divergence. We will then verify and synthesize our results by screening the genes in a taxonomically wider range of species. We hope to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relative numbers and importance of different types of loci in multiple stages of evolutionary divergence in a mammalian system. As such these results will significantly extend the current frontier of our knowledge about how new taxa form.
Advances in genomics offer new opportunities for identifying loci that behave unusually against a background of neutral variation. Detecting divergent sites among related individuals and taxa can shed light on the process of adaptive divergence, from non-random mating to the establishment of reproductive barriers. Conversely, identifying convergent sites among unrelated taxa can offer insights into deeper level ecological radiations. This project will study genes underpinning evolutionary divergence at several stages. Discovering genome-wide 'gene outliers' presents enormous challenges. I argue these can be overcome by combining and applying phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses with deep sequencing to exceptional study systems. Among mammals, bats are unique in having independently evolved laryngeal echolocation and nectarivory, both implicated in their unparalleled adaptive radiation. We will (i) use a novel phylogenomic approach to identify genes under convergent and divergent selection associated with acoustic and dietary diversification. (ii) We will then discover additional loci implicated in diverging incipient sympatric taxa that have undergone recent dramatic call frequency shifts. (iii) We will identify genome-wide loci that show anomalous divergence and non-random combinations between faithfully breeding pairs of bats in a population where outbreeding increases fitness. These complementary studies will produce a database of candidate loci implicated in ecological divergence. We will then verify and synthesize our results by screening the genes in a taxonomically wider range of species. We hope to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relative numbers and importance of different types of loci in multiple stages of evolutionary divergence in a mammalian system. As such these results will significantly extend the current frontier of our knowledge about how new taxa form.
Project acronym Identification
Project Identification, Estimation and Implementation of Structural Economic Models
Researcher (PI) Dennis Kristensen
Summary Structural economic models are getting increasingly complex. This complicates their implementation. In particular, for many models, (i) identification of the relevant components from data is still unresolved; (ii) estimation and testing procedures tend to be somewhat ad hoc and with no theoretical underpinning; (iii) the implementation of model and estimators often require numerical approximations since model solutions are not available on closed form. The proposed research aims at addressing these three issues, (i)-(iii), by developing new methods and results for identification, estimation, testing and implementation of structural models. Particular emphasis is put on the use of nonparametric techniques. Many of the projects involve empirical applications where the proposed methods will be taken to data. The individual projects making up the proposal are: Identification and inference in discrete choice models; identification and inference in continuous choice models; Implementation and estimation of parametric structural models; Filtering and likelihood inference in dynamic latent variable models; Bandwidth selection in estimation and testing of non- and semiparametric models.
Structural economic models are getting increasingly complex. This complicates their implementation. In particular, for many models, (i) identification of the relevant components from data is still unresolved; (ii) estimation and testing procedures tend to be somewhat ad hoc and with no theoretical underpinning; (iii) the implementation of model and estimators often require numerical approximations since model solutions are not available on closed form. The proposed research aims at addressing these three issues, (i)-(iii), by developing new methods and results for identification, estimation, testing and implementation of structural models. Particular emphasis is put on the use of nonparametric techniques. Many of the projects involve empirical applications where the proposed methods will be taken to data. The individual projects making up the proposal are: Identification and inference in discrete choice models; identification and inference in continuous choice models; Implementation and estimation of parametric structural models; Filtering and likelihood inference in dynamic latent variable models; Bandwidth selection in estimation and testing of non- and semiparametric models.
Project acronym INCORALS
Project Influence of nutrient starvation on corals' susceptibility to bleaching
Researcher (PI) Jorg Wiedenmann
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
Summary INCORALS will establish a novel conceptual model that introduces a transition of symbiotic algae from a nutrient limited to a nutrient starved state as a process that renders reef building corals more susceptible to heat stress. Elevated temperatures have been identified as the key driver for coral bleaching, which is the often fatal loss of corals' symbiotic algae. Thus, studies have estimated that reefs will be lost within the next one hundred years as a result of global warming. High temperatures undoubtedly play a major role in triggering coral bleaching. However, observations made for instance during the 1998 bleaching event, suggest also a connection between the susceptibility of corals to heat stress and anthropogenically elevated nutrient levels. Here, I present evidence that unbalanced ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphorus in the water column perturb the lipid composition of photosynthetic membranes of zooxanthellae and result in an increased susceptibility to thermal bleaching. I have developed a novel conceptual model of coral bleaching that introduces nutrient starvation as a cause for increased heat stress susceptibility. The model clarifies the previously unexplained correlation between the reduction of the thermal bleaching threshold of corals and their exposure to coastal run-off with elevated concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. INCORALS will conduct an in-depth study of nutrient starvation of reef corals, comparing the impact of nitrogen, phosphorus and iron. INCORALS will combine physiological experiments under tightly controlled laboratory conditions and field-based studies, using a suite of optical methods and cutting-edge molecular techniques to study this yet unexplored cause of coral bleaching and define its relevance for coral ecosystems. The improved understanding of coral bleaching gained during this project is urgently required to develop knowledge-based management strategies to support coral reef resilience.
INCORALS will establish a novel conceptual model that introduces a transition of symbiotic algae from a nutrient limited to a nutrient starved state as a process that renders reef building corals more susceptible to heat stress. Elevated temperatures have been identified as the key driver for coral bleaching, which is the often fatal loss of corals' symbiotic algae. Thus, studies have estimated that reefs will be lost within the next one hundred years as a result of global warming. High temperatures undoubtedly play a major role in triggering coral bleaching. However, observations made for instance during the 1998 bleaching event, suggest also a connection between the susceptibility of corals to heat stress and anthropogenically elevated nutrient levels. Here, I present evidence that unbalanced ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphorus in the water column perturb the lipid composition of photosynthetic membranes of zooxanthellae and result in an increased susceptibility to thermal bleaching. I have developed a novel conceptual model of coral bleaching that introduces nutrient starvation as a cause for increased heat stress susceptibility. The model clarifies the previously unexplained correlation between the reduction of the thermal bleaching threshold of corals and their exposure to coastal run-off with elevated concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. INCORALS will conduct an in-depth study of nutrient starvation of reef corals, comparing the impact of nitrogen, phosphorus and iron. INCORALS will combine physiological experiments under tightly controlled laboratory conditions and field-based studies, using a suite of optical methods and cutting-edge molecular techniques to study this yet unexplored cause of coral bleaching and define its relevance for coral ecosystems. The improved understanding of coral bleaching gained during this project is urgently required to develop knowledge-based management strategies to support coral reef resilience.
Project acronym JAWEVOL
Project The Origin of Jawed Vertebrates and the Evolution of Morphology in Deep Time
Researcher (PI) Martin Daniel Brazeau
Summary Jawed vertebrates account for more than 99% of modern vertebrate diversity. Collectively, they comprise chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) and osteichthyans (bony fishes and terrestrial vertebrates, including humans). The anatomy of jawed vertebrates includes a series of complex traits such as jaws, teeth, paired appendages, and novel skeletal tissues such as bone. In spite of the intensive investigation of jawed vertebrate evolution in comparative morphology and molecular developmental evolution, the origin and early diversification of this important group remains mysterious. This project seeks to inject a large body of fresh data into the problem of early jawed vertebrate origins and evolution and develop modernized tools for morphological phylogenetics. We will use an integration of expeditionary fieldwork, modern digital imaging technology, and newly developed numerical methods in phylogenetics to address the problems of early jawed vertebrate origins. The work will focus on the morphology and relationships of fossil jawed vertebrates from the Palaeozoic Era (approx. 540-250 million years ago) which exhibit the earliest evidence of jaws, teeth, and paired appendages. Fieldwork in Mongolia will deliver new taxonomic and morphological data from poorly explored regions and attack a major geographic bias in existing fossil archives. The project will exploit computed tomography scanning to analyze existing fossil archives of extract species. This work will provide a detailed scheme of phylogenetic relationships inferring the relationships of early fossil forms to modern jawed vertebrate lineages and document the evolutionary assembly of complex morphological traits of jawed vertebrates. These results will yield refined timelines for jawed vertebrate evolution that can help calibrate molecular clock studies and deliver a rich comparative framework for evolutionary morphological and developmental studies.
Jawed vertebrates account for more than 99% of modern vertebrate diversity. Collectively, they comprise chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) and osteichthyans (bony fishes and terrestrial vertebrates, including humans). The anatomy of jawed vertebrates includes a series of complex traits such as jaws, teeth, paired appendages, and novel skeletal tissues such as bone. In spite of the intensive investigation of jawed vertebrate evolution in comparative morphology and molecular developmental evolution, the origin and early diversification of this important group remains mysterious. This project seeks to inject a large body of fresh data into the problem of early jawed vertebrate origins and evolution and develop modernized tools for morphological phylogenetics. We will use an integration of expeditionary fieldwork, modern digital imaging technology, and newly developed numerical methods in phylogenetics to address the problems of early jawed vertebrate origins. The work will focus on the morphology and relationships of fossil jawed vertebrates from the Palaeozoic Era (approx. 540-250 million years ago) which exhibit the earliest evidence of jaws, teeth, and paired appendages. Fieldwork in Mongolia will deliver new taxonomic and morphological data from poorly explored regions and attack a major geographic bias in existing fossil archives. The project will exploit computed tomography scanning to analyze existing fossil archives of extract species. This work will provide a detailed scheme of phylogenetic relationships inferring the relationships of early fossil forms to modern jawed vertebrate lineages and document the evolutionary assembly of complex morphological traits of jawed vertebrates. These results will yield refined timelines for jawed vertebrate evolution that can help calibrate molecular clock studies and deliver a rich comparative framework for evolutionary morphological and developmental studies.
Project acronym MACROINEQUALITY
Project The Macroeconomics of Inequality, Development and the Welfare State
Researcher (PI) Kjetil Storesletten
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Summary This project will develop macro models with heterogeneity across people and firms to understand the consequences of two profound macro trends: the economic transformation of China and the rising cross-sectional inequality in many countries. The ultimate aim is to help these models become everyday tools in macro, development/labor economics, and actual policy making. Inequality and human capital accumulation is an important theme. I will develop tractable models of the equity-efficiency tradeoffs under risk and imperfect financial markets. Due to novel general equilibrium effects, progressive taxation is particularly distortive for education choices. This calls for complementary policies. I also explore the nexus between inequality and aggregate risk, the interaction between inequality and the dynamics of political conflict, and the puzzling success of the Scandinavian welfare model. The project will provide sharper tools for policy analysis. A key aim is to integrate models of mistakes into structural macro models. While such models generally assume rationality, welfare programs are often geared to precisely address negative consequences of human errors. Assuming information is costly, I will quantify bounds on rationality to match observed behavior. The framework has a wide range of potential uses. I will use it to reevaluate government programs. A large part of the project focuses on China. The rapid economic transformation of emerging economies has raised many new questions for economic theory and policy. I will marshal the use of models with heterogeneity to address these issues. A key goal is to develop a quantitative structural model that can become the benchmark model of fiscal policy analysis and long-run forecasts in China. As an application, I will study cost and gains of various redistribution programs. The project also aims at examining the sources of growth and inflation in China and, ultimately, understanding the culprit of the Chinese growth miracle.
This project will develop macro models with heterogeneity across people and firms to understand the consequences of two profound macro trends: the economic transformation of China and the rising cross-sectional inequality in many countries. The ultimate aim is to help these models become everyday tools in macro, development/labor economics, and actual policy making. Inequality and human capital accumulation is an important theme. I will develop tractable models of the equity-efficiency tradeoffs under risk and imperfect financial markets. Due to novel general equilibrium effects, progressive taxation is particularly distortive for education choices. This calls for complementary policies. I also explore the nexus between inequality and aggregate risk, the interaction between inequality and the dynamics of political conflict, and the puzzling success of the Scandinavian welfare model. The project will provide sharper tools for policy analysis. A key aim is to integrate models of mistakes into structural macro models. While such models generally assume rationality, welfare programs are often geared to precisely address negative consequences of human errors. Assuming information is costly, I will quantify bounds on rationality to match observed behavior. The framework has a wide range of potential uses. I will use it to reevaluate government programs. A large part of the project focuses on China. The rapid economic transformation of emerging economies has raised many new questions for economic theory and policy. I will marshal the use of models with heterogeneity to address these issues. A key goal is to develop a quantitative structural model that can become the benchmark model of fiscal policy analysis and long-run forecasts in China. As an application, I will study cost and gains of various redistribution programs. The project also aims at examining the sources of growth and inflation in China and, ultimately, understanding the culprit of the Chinese growth miracle.
Project acronym METAPHEN
Project The ecology of metabolic phenotypes: from cells to populations
Researcher (PI) Neil Benedict Metcalfe
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
Summary Metabolic rate is a fundamental life history trait. Yet it also shows remarkable intra-specific variation: some individuals consistently have 2-3 times the maintenance costs of conspecifics the same size, age and sex. The predicted consequences of this variation are central to our understanding of optimal life history strategies and resource allocation trade-offs. But how is this intra-specific variation maintained? And why have attempts to link variation in metabolic rate to fitness yielded very inconsistent results? I propose that this is due to the focus having been on resting metabolism, with other aspects – most notably maximal metabolic rate and aerobic scope - being overlooked. There is pronounced variation in these two neglected components of metabolic profile, uncorrelated with that in resting metabolism, and increasing evidence that they may influence species distributions. I point out that these different components of metabolic rate are inextricably linked to levels of mitochondrial uncoupling, and hence to energy efficiency, potential oxidative stress and senescence. I predict that different microhabitats will favour specific combinations of metabolic traits, leading to spatial and temporal structuring of metabolic phenotypes within and across populations. This project aims to test this new framework in a multidisciplinary project that uses experimental manipulations at levels ranging from the cellular to the population. The project combines cellular analyses and cutting edge technology with carefully designed experiments in an ecological setting. I will test whether variability in metabolic traits is maintained through context-dependent fitness. If successful, the work will reveal how metabolic physiology is a key determinant of the ability of organisms to cope with variable environments, so explaining the persistence of variation in physiological traits and increasing our understanding of the likely consequences for organisms of environmental change.
Metabolic rate is a fundamental life history trait. Yet it also shows remarkable intra-specific variation: some individuals consistently have 2-3 times the maintenance costs of conspecifics the same size, age and sex. The predicted consequences of this variation are central to our understanding of optimal life history strategies and resource allocation trade-offs. But how is this intra-specific variation maintained? And why have attempts to link variation in metabolic rate to fitness yielded very inconsistent results? I propose that this is due to the focus having been on resting metabolism, with other aspects – most notably maximal metabolic rate and aerobic scope - being overlooked. There is pronounced variation in these two neglected components of metabolic profile, uncorrelated with that in resting metabolism, and increasing evidence that they may influence species distributions. I point out that these different components of metabolic rate are inextricably linked to levels of mitochondrial uncoupling, and hence to energy efficiency, potential oxidative stress and senescence. I predict that different microhabitats will favour specific combinations of metabolic traits, leading to spatial and temporal structuring of metabolic phenotypes within and across populations. This project aims to test this new framework in a multidisciplinary project that uses experimental manipulations at levels ranging from the cellular to the population. The project combines cellular analyses and cutting edge technology with carefully designed experiments in an ecological setting. I will test whether variability in metabolic traits is maintained through context-dependent fitness. If successful, the work will reveal how metabolic physiology is a key determinant of the ability of organisms to cope with variable environments, so explaining the persistence of variation in physiological traits and increasing our understanding of the likely consequences for organisms of environmental change.


Mark Garrison is an innovative educator and a passionate advocate for technology in education. He holds a masters degree in learning technologies, is a Google Certified Trainer, and was named one of 15 YouTube Star Teachers in 2011. Among his many hobbies, Garrison collects and presents interesting and innovative websites that promote authenticity, collaboration, design and higher order thinking. He is currently the director of technology at White Bear Lake Area Schools.


After a year of no update, there are many thing happen. The pass year I have moved to live in Frankfurt, and yeah I got some sketch from there. Later on there will be more sketch from the cafe around Frankfurt.
Keep in touch to see more city and town sketching.
ECB , and Frankfurt dishes : Apple wine, schnitzel and beer!


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I want to continue to thank all of you who clicked on the PayPal link on the left, and contributed to the running of the Skeptical Raptor website. This may not be the most personal way to say thanks, I just didn't want random emails ending up in your PayPal inbox.
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No, this is not going to be a how-to guide on how to improve search engine results, something called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I am not an expert. But I'm implementing several things to improve the standing, which should make sure that my information about vaccines continues to eclipse the lies and misinformation of the anti-vaccination crowd.
A few days ago, I noticed a comment from a regular reader why articles from the Skeptical Raptor website don't show up in Google news results. And since I get those results, I wondered too, so I did some testing.
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On the other hand, results for Google searches of science and medicine are mostly curated to weed out the bad science websites. Thus, if you Google "hpv vaccine myths," this blog's article on HPV vaccine myths is #2. Right behind a website in Australia. I'm ok with being #2 behind an Australian pro-vaccine, anti-cancer website.
The first hit with false information about the HPV vaccine, from the ironically named group called VaxTruth, ranks about #50. They should be lower, but I think the curation process at Google is still evolving.
The Skeptical Raptor website has had nearly 4,000,000 total views, so the costs for what was once just my hobby is increasing. I've been working to keep load speeds as high as possible, I've now maxed out the specs for my servers, which now cost just below $1000 a month. I remember back in the old days (2012), I paid $15 a month.
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text:
6 Top Leadership Traits for Managing Smart and Creative People, According to Research
Research suggests your knowledge workers will respond the best to this type of leader.
By Marcel SchwantesFounder and Chief Human Officer, Leadership From the Core@MarcelSchwantes
Is your company's strongest asset your knowledge workers? If your brightest and most valuable employees quit tomorrow, how would your team or company fare?
Coined by the late management expert Peter Drucker in 1959, "knowledge workers" are your prized thinkers who make your business go around. They work with their heads to plan, analyze, organize, test, program, distribute, search, market, and otherwise generally contribute to the transformation of information in the knowledge economy.
Drucker went to his grave preaching about the importance of increasing the productivity of knowledge workers if you want to succeed. He said this was the most important contribution managers needed to make in the 21st century. Quite prophetic on his part.
The best leadership style for the brightest employees
So that brings up the million-dollar question: How do you lead and manage knowledge workers to get the best out of them? How do you motivate highly paid, independent thinkers who own so much of an organization's intellectual and creative knowledge? And, on top of that, how do you do that when so many of them don't like to be managed?
I've been thinking about that for a long time and have determined through several years of research, exploration, and observation that one leadership theory and practice moves to that end better than any other:
Servant leadership.
One notable researcher in the trenches of academia validating the practice of servant leadership is Dr. Dirk van Dierendonck, professor of human resource management at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.
Through his extensive research, he has concluded that leaders function at their best when six key servant leadership characteristics are present:
Empowerment and development of people
Expression of humility
Interpersonal acceptance
Providing of direction
1. Empowering and developing people
According to Dierendonck, this is about "giving people in the workplace responsibility for their own actions." It's a perfect fit for an autonomous knowledge worker seeking more freedom at work.
Since knowledge workers typically know more than bosses do about their own areas of specialization, you empower further by allowing them the space to perform. Steve Jobs may have had an enormous ego as the head of Apple, but he understood his place in the knowledge economy when he famously quipped,
It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.
As with Jobs, your best move is to intentionally not be the smartest person in the room. Just get out of the way and let knowledge workers do their thing.
Being closer to the ground, knowledge workers may also know more about the customer's needs, wishes, and expectations to problem solve, delight, and offer a richer customer experience. That's why Drucker advised managers, "Knowledge workers have to manage themselves. They have to have autonomy."
2. Expressing humility
Dierendonck writes: "By acknowledging fallibility and the limits of one's own knowledge, the servant leader helps to facilitate a learning environment: one in which employees can learn and develop through their own experimentation and by learning from others."
That takes humility, which is a leadership strength of few. But it works.
Unfortunately, skeptics in command-and-control power structures miss the many opportunities to shift to a more human workplace led by servant leaders. They are blind to the possibility that promoting a learning culture within the organization in which people are trained, developed, coached, and mentored, in which people advance into new career paths and experience new roles and responsibilities, is a clear competitive advantage.
Dierendonck found authenticity to be a significant factor as it "enables the servant leader to show very clearly to employees that not only can they be themselves, but also that the work environment genuinely encourages and welcomes this."
To clarify, "being themselves" isn't license for anyone to display bad manners or pet peeves that make spouses cringe at home. It's acting with integrity and being your "best self." Dierendonck uses examples such as the shared cultural values of "do as you have promised" and "show consistency in actions and morality."
4. Interpersonal acceptance
This is "the ability to understand and experience the feelings and motivations of others," states Dierendonck. In other words, one cannot espouse the servant leadership way without empathy, compassion, and forgiveness, especially when people make mistakes.
Dierendonck adds, "By accepting employees as individuals, the servant leader shows understanding and appreciation of their unique perspectives and allows people to feel that they matter."
5. Providing direction
One of the hard skills (as opposed to "soft skills") of every servant leader is to set the right goals and expectations for employees, as well as to create the kind of work that is fulfilling and has meaning and purpose for each individual contributor.
Dierendonck explains further: "To provide direction, the servant leader must make work dynamic and have it tailored to the abilities and needs of employees."
This is especially true for women. Allow me to explain.
Anne Brafford, author of Positive Professionals, references a 2012 study that found that meaningful work was a clear difference maker for satisfied career women everywhere. If companies are looking to prevent the turnover of their female workers, or looking to increase their diversity by hiring and promoting more women (especially into leadership roles), managers must craft jobs that play to their strengths, and which they're excited about doing.
6. Stewardship
Dierendonck says that stewardship "is the willingness to take responsibility for the larger institution and to focus on service instead of control and self-interest."
This is really the crux of servant leadership -- not only to serve those entrusted to your leadership but also to align everyone to serve a bold mission with the utmost loyalty and commitment.
It's bringing everyone together in a Jim Collins, "Get the right people on the bus" sense and driving toward one common purpose.
Dierendonck says, "By setting the right example, leaders can stimulate others to act in the common interest."
Published on: Feb 15, 2018